Dream Girls and Despair Girls
by tomoyomint
Summary: Dream Reach Girl's Academy is the best girls' school in Japan, possibly the world! Any young woman who receives an invitation here is undoubtedly the best in her field, and is set up for the rest of her life. At least, that's how it used to be. ((SYOC! NOW CLOSED!))
1. Chapter 1

Dream Reach Girl's Academy. A prestigious school founded well over a hundred years ago, Dream Reach is a Japanese high school reserved for only the best young women in their fields. These girls, known only as 'Super High School Level' students, are the cream of the crop, and a letter from Dream Reach is pretty much a guarantee for a cushy life. This is the place where dreams are born and nurtured.

But dreams can't always come true...

Hello everyone!

My name is Tomoyo! You can find out a bit more about me on my profile, so I won't spend too much time introducing myself here.

I've been really interested in Dangan Ronpa SYOC stories, and to start off in the English DR community, I'd like to do one! Here are my rules for submitting an OC:

_Must be human! _There's really not any magic in the DR canon, and this extends to the characters. No vampires, werewolves, fairies- none of that. So make your character human!

_No Mary Sues!_ I believe that's the correct term? Anyways, it's all good if your character is the best at what they do- It's why they're a SHSL! But to be perfect in every sense of their lives? Nooo thank you. Those are hard to write, and really just boring.

_Explain them well! _If you just throw in a 'they were abused/raped/assaulted' in their backstory and then never mention it or the affect it had on their lives again, that's unrealistic, and borderline offensive. I won't include characters that have unexplained trauma- Explained traumas are fine!

_Do the bloody research!_ Don't just throw in a 'oh she has split personalities that switch when she sneezes'. Genocider Syo is _not _an accurate description of DID. If you want to give your character a mental or physical illness, do the research!

_Must be female!_ It's a girl's academy, after all! Because MTF transgender women are women, transgender female characters are accepted. No males disguised as females, please!

_No relation to canon characters!_ This is a totally different universe from Dangan Ronpa. Hope's Peak never existed, and the canon DR characters do not exist in this universe. Your OC cannot be Togami's sister, Ibuki's best friend, Leon's girlfriend, etc.

_Realize that your character may not survive!_ This is a mutual killing game. Your character very well might not make it out alive! Please realize this, and don't get angry with me if I kill off your character!

I hope I don't sound like a jerk, but I really want this SYOC to do well! Now, for things you can do...

_You can use a canon title! _Wanna make an SHSL Hall Monitor? SHSL Princess? Sure! You can come up with your own talent (I do prefer those), but if you want to use a canon talent, you may! I'll only accept one of each talent, however, so if I get two SHSL Surfers or SHSL Gamblers, only one will get in.

_You can make them foreign!_ And by foreign, I mean non-Japanese. The DR canon states that you have to be enrolled in a Japanese high school, but I'm doing away with that rule here! Make a Canadian! A Filipino! A Brazilian! It's all up to you!

_They don't have to be enrolled in school at all!_ If your OC is homeschooled or doesn't go to school for whatever reason (explain why if that's the case), they are still eligible for Dream Reach!

_They can be famous in their universe!_ A rock star or actress who's well known? Sure! Just keep in mind I won't accept a ton of famous characters- maybe three at the most. If they're famous in their field, however, that's fine! I'll accept as many field-famous characters as you can make!

_You can submit more than one character!_ Keep in mind, I may only accept one! It'll depend on the number and quality of applications I get.

_If you submit more than one, they can be related!_ Twin sisters or cousins are perfectly fine by me! However, heed the above warning.

Alright! The application form is on my profile, and now that you've read my rules, you're ready to go! See you at Dream Reach...


	2. The Fateful Meeting

**Fufufu, here we are! Sorry this chapter took so long- I wanted to introduce all the characters and give you a good grasp on their personalities, so it took forever! But it's here now! You may want to finish your chores or get a drink before sitting down to read this. Seriously, it's huge.**

**So, as you can all see, my writing skills aren't exactly world class, especially not in English. But I tried my best, and I hope you enjoy!**

For all of us, it's been a long day of travelling. I heard there were girls coming from overseas, even! That makes my trip seem like a walk down the street. It's true that Dream Reach Girl's Academy isn't in Akihabara, where I live, but it's still in the Tokyo prefecture. So lucky me, right?

Oh, I didn't even introduce myself! That's pretty rude, isn't it? My name is Hiyori Futuba. I'm a sixteen year old girl from Akihabara, and recently, I received the title of Super High School Level Cafe Maid!

**FUTUBA HIYORI**

**SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL CAFE MAID**

... Yeah, maybe it's a bit embarrassing. But I like my job! It's great for your self-esteem, with people always telling you that you're cute. I try to be cute, with my chest length black pigtails and blue contact lenses, so it's always nice to get compliments on that. I hope it's not a big deal that I'm wearing my work uniform to school. I definitely stand out- not many people wear frilled pink and white maid dresses, and the little white headband really drives it home as to what I do. But the train that's taking me here is stopping, so I can evade the stares and head off to school!

Ah, it's cold outside! Maybe there's only an inch or two of exposed skin between my thigh high stockings and skirt, but it's enough to give me a chill. It's supposed to be a bit of a walk from here, so I guess it's okay if I pass time by telling you about myself, right?

Truthfully, I'm not exceptional. I may be cute, but only through makeup. Underneath this, I'm a bit plain. I come from a normal family- a mother, a father, and a little sister. I've always lived in Akihabara, and I admired the grace and cuteness of maids, so I decided to apply for a job when I was thirteen! I got it, and I've only been growing in popularity among the area! I'm highly requested by customers, and I've done a lot of public events with my cafe, but even then, I still didn't expect a scholarship to a place like Dream's Reach!

This was a good thing for me. My grades aren't too good, so I probably wouldn't have gotten into any good university. But a Dream's Reach invitation pretty much sets you up for life! Any university would be begging you to come after that! My family is happy, and so am I!

Ah, I talked for so long! Look, we're almost here! I can see the top of the school from where we are! Quick, let's hurry to get there!

These heeled Mary Janes aren't easy to run in, so I guess we'll have to speedwalk. Wow, look at how huge the school looks! It's so modern looking- several stories, all glass windows, beautiful gardens, it's just like a school out of a dream! I really can't believe I'm actually here, my heart keep pounding!

Here we are, just outside the gates. This is such an important moment... Living away from my family, going to an elite school, it's all so new! This will be a monumental change in my life, I can tell!

I take my first step onto the property, and...

Huh... I feel kind of dizzy. Maybe it's just nerves, but I didn't feel this way before... Why are things spinning so fast? I almost feel like I can't stay upright. As I stumble back, blackness creeps into my vision...

"Good morning, Hiyori-tan! Thank you for your patience! Please make your way down to the gymnasium within the next few minutes. We hope to see you there!"

A perky, childish voice interrupts my sleep, and jolts me up from where I was sleeping. It sounds like a elementary schooler speaking, really. And 'tan'? Such a childish honourific! I look around the room for the girl who had just spoken, but I don't find anyone. There is a speaker, though, bright pink and set into the far wall.

... Wait, I was asleep? Looking down, I'm stunned to find myself laying on a plain white cot. A thin pink blanket is layed over myself, and I pull it down, revealing that I'm still wearing my maid dress. So I didn't fall asleep on my own will, or I'd be wearing pyjamas. Then what happened? Maybe I fainted outside the school, and someone brought me to the nurses office?

If that's the case, this is a strange nurses office. The walls are all mirrored, save for the small pink speaker set into one, and the open door, leading out into a dark hallway. There's nothing in the room besides myself and this cot, which are set into the middle. Looking in the mirrors, I look the exact same as I did when I first arrived. I almost look better... Did someone redo my pigtails? They look just a little neater than they did before, and my makeup is still perfect. I must have not been out for too long.

The room has an aura of foreboding, like I really shouldn't be here. I feel on edge, and don't want to spend any more time in this place than I absolutely have to. Deciding to follow the voice's instructions, I get off the cot, noting my shoes are still on, stepping onto the ground and hurrying out of the room.

The second I step out, the door snaps shut behind me with a bang, making me gasp and jump forward. That was close! It almost caught the strings on my apron!

Hurrying away from the snappy door, I look around the halls. It's really not a hard thing to do- there's only one way to go. To my right is a dead end, so there's no going that way. There's simply a wall ahead of me, and to my left, there's a long hallway. Gulping, I walk slowly down the hallway, heels clicking and echoing among the cavernous hall. The walls stretch high, and the ceiling lights flicker, making it all feel like I'm in a horror movie. Surely, any minute now, I'll be eaten by a monster!

There's no monster, however, and I soon start to see a door in the distance. Picking up the pace a little bit, I hurry over to it. It's a normal sized door, in a plain grey colour. There's no decorations or indicators as to where it leads, but given that everything else in this damn place seems to lead to nothing, I'll take my chances with it.

Deep breaths, now. Gulping nervously, I extend a manicured hand out to the doorknob, giving it a push.

There's a light, suddenly, and I squint as my eyes try to adjust. As things start to resemble actual objects and not just light blobs, I realize that it's a gymnasium. It's not all that bright, actually- the hallway was just dim. Stepping in, it looks as though my point of entrance was between two sets of bleachers, meaning I can only see what's right ahead of me- which is an empty space, and then a wall, done up in a cute light pink shade. If this really is Dream's Reach, they really tried to drive home the femininity of the place.

Walking out from the small area, I turn my head to the side- and see people.

People? I take a step into their fields of vision, and the clicking of my heels on the floor echo through the room- it looks like it's an auditorium, now that I can see all of it. All heads turn to me.

Gulp. They aren't too far away- just a few yards at the most. I smile anxiously, smoothing my skirt and taking a few small steps towards the group.

"Hello! It's, um, nice to meet all of you!"

I may as well be polite, right?

The majority of them smile and nod, and a couple even wave. Several turn their heads to me before shrugging and turning back, and one or two don't acknowledge me entering at all. Still, nobody tries to speak to me, so I guess it's up to me to take the initiative. Walking over to the group, I mix into the middle, becoming just another girl in the fray. Among the confusion and chatting, one girl is standing in the centre, still and unaffected by everything around her. Her long blonde hair and purple eyes contrast nicely, a red robe covering a white button up shirt and a black skirt. She doesn't seem to see me as I approach, staring into nothing. I try to put on a friendly face, smiling.

"Hi there! Uh, I just woke up, you wouldn't happen to know where we are, would you?"

Her eyes flick over to look at me, purple orbs staring me down before she shrugs. "I don't know."

"Ah, that's really too bad! My name is Hiyori Futuba. What's yours?"

She takes a minute to reply, blank face unflinching. "Mitsuki Tsukino. You're a Super High School Level of some sorts, I'd assume."

I'm a bit taken aback, and it shows in my next sentence. How did she know that..? "Y-You're right! I'm one of the Cafe Maid variety. Was that just good guessing?"

She breaks eye contact with me briefly to look at a pair of squabbling girls before turning back. "All of us are. I'm the Super High School Level Monk. Everyone in this room has a talent."

**TSUKINO MITSUKI**

**SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL MONK**

So this is Dream's Reach! "Oh, I see! So we're really at the school, then!"

Mitsuki nods, looking down to pick at her nails. She's not one for conversation, I guess.

Just as I'm about to ask something to break the silence between Mitsuki and I, there's a series of squeals behind me. Looking over, I see two excited girls talking loudly and excitedly together. Both of them are holding each other's hands, jumping like rambunctious puppies, before the smaller of the two darts off, leaving the taller one, who promptly turns to look at me. Waving, she beckons me over.

"Hi hi hi! Ohemgee, did you see who that was?! Ohemgeeeeeee!"

She's very happy, jumping up and down on her feet. She's wearing small pink heels with a pink flower on the end- how can she jump in those? Looking up from there, she has a healthy tan on her long, slim legs, though she doesn't seem to shave them, judging by the dark hair on her calves. Oh, well, it's a personal preference, and not really any of my business. Moving back up (hopefully the elevator eyes aren't freaking her out), she has on a fluffy pink dress ending in a dangerous short miniskirt, the frills and chiffon making it look luxurious and expensive. The bow in the centre has a pink flower print, and it leads up to a strapless top with pink lace edging... A lot of pink on her, huh? Even her pearl necklace is pink!

She has a pretty, makeup caked face, with long (but obviously false) eyelashes. Her hair is a honey blonde, with thick, puffy and curly sujimori styled hair. A tiny silver princess crown rests atop her head, matched with her straight across bangs, giving her a princess-type look. A pink strap goes over her outfit, and it seems to be holding a (you guessed it) pink backpack behind her. I recognize the fashion- she's a hime gyaru!

She's awfully peppy, too, quickly grabbing my own hands and shaking them up and down in yet another game of what I'm dubbing 'Insane-Happy-Hands' as she keeps chatting. "Oh, and my name is Takumi Ohnuma! I'm the Super High School Level Sharpshooter!"

**OHNUMA TAKUMI**

**SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL SHARPSHOOTER**

Sharpshooter? I take another look at that backpack. It's long, kind of a weird shape- gyah! That's no backpack, she has a rifle case slung over her back!

Takumi notices my eyes widen at the sight of her gun, and she giggles again. "Haha, don't even worry! It's only loaded with blanks, I'd never bring bullets into a school!"

I sigh, audibly relieved. "Th-That's good, Ohnuma-san. You really had me worried there!"

She laughs, letting go and tapping her long nails against her chin. Her nails are covered in jewels and extend far past her fingers, indicating that they're fake.

"Kekekeke, I wouldn't want you worried, sweet little... What's your name?"

"Hiyori Futuba. Oh, and I'm a Super High School Level Cafe Maid."

"Sweet little Hiyori-chan! Fufufu, the cute cafe maid and her best friend forever, Takumi-chan! Take good care of me now, okay?"

Best friends? That's... Quite strange, but I nod and smile at Takumi, politely taking a few steps back. She's very sweet and friendly, but she's exhausting to speak to, and gives me a strange impression. She doesn't seem to notice my hesitation, and bounces on past me to talk to Mitsuki.

Hey, she never mentioned who that girl she was talking to was! Maybe I'll go to her next.

Approaching the girl, she seems to catch sight of me quickly, and puts on a big smile. She's pretty, and I swear that I've seen her somewhere before. Her silver hair is pulled up into a messy ponytail, and judging by how short it is, I'd say it falls around her shoulders when it's down. Her bangs are a little ruffled, pushing a bit to one side, and two framing pieces of hair hang beside her face.

"That one is full of energy, isn't she?" The girl motions towards Takumi, who's currently attempting to engage an unimpressed Mitsuki in another game of Insane-Happy-Hands. "It's kind of cute, seeing somebody so perky."

She's saying exactly what I'm thinking, and I nod as I take a look at what she's wearing. She's wearing a white, knitted, large sweater dress that goes down to her mid thighs, with a brown pair of pretty leather boots. The brown belt cinching the dress around her waist helps to accentuate her figure, and the tight fitted top has a sort of window in the chest area, showing off cleavage. She's a snappy dresser, someone who knows how to make herself look great, and she has a sweet voice as she speaks. "You just came in, didn't you? I don't think I caught your name!"

I look up to meet her pink eyes, the light makeup she's wearing barely visible. "Oh, right! I'm Hiyori Futuba. Super High School Level Cafe Maid."

Where do I know her from? She smiles. "Oh, a maid! I suppose we work in the same sort of area, then? My name is Yayoi Fujishima."

She doesn't even have to say her title- We both seem to understand that I know her title.

**FUJISHIMA YAYOI**

**SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL IDOL**

Yayoi Fujishima is an idol singer, and has become very popular lately! I didn't recognize her at first, I'm not good with faces, but the name draws her right back to me. "Oh, you're an idol! That explains quite a bit, doesn't it! I work in Akihabara, your fans come in sometimes. A lot of the girls have your bow."

I'm referring to the brown, cute bow holding her ponytail up. Now that she's become popular, lots of her female fans wear a bow like hers in their hair- it's like a secret sign to other fans. The boys don't, of course, but Yayoi's male fans greatly outnumber her female fans. That's understandable- she's an idol, after all!

"They do! I've seen people with one, it makes me happy to see!" She laughs a little. "Futuba-san, you should give me your cafe's address at some point! I'd love to visit some day."

Yayoi is a beautiful speaker, and we chat for a few more minutes before I excuse myself to talk to a couple other girls. I bump into the next one- quite miraculously, as she's hard to miss.

She's absolutely huge, almost three feet taller than my diminutive 4'11. I'm already a little bit short, so she towers over me. Her long, sky blue dress flowed down, black stockings and black shoes seen under the hem. Much like her dress, her eyes were a stunning blue, and her golden brown hair falls between her shoulders, shimmering in the glare from the electric lights above us. When I bump her, she takes a small step back, startled.

"Oh, I'm very sorry!" She apologized right away, looking a bit nervous. Looks like she's the resident gentle giant.

"No, no, it's fine!" I wave my hands in front of myself. "It was my fault, I wasn't looking where I was going."

She looks as though she wants to say something else, but purses her lips, dismissing the thought. "A-Alright then! Um... I'm Lyra Etso. Super High School Harpist."

**ETSO LYRA**

**SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL HARPIST**

A harp player? She seems to have the hands for it, somewhat longer fingers that would be useful for such a talent. Lucky her- I have small, fat fingers! Not very graceful at all. "That's really neat! I'm Hiyori Futuba, Super High School Level Cafe Maid. At your service, mistress!"

I don't like to to the maid introduction outside of the cafe, it's embarrassing. But Lyra seems quite timid, and I figure a little bit of silliness couldn't hurt. As I've been taught, I pull out the sides of my skirt and take a small bow, curtsying. She looks a little surprised, but giggles, a soft and melodic sound.

"That's cute... I guess that's part of your job description, right?" Lyra smiles, and I'm about to reply before a voice breaks out.

"Lyra-chan, Lyra-chan!" It's not either of us, and Lyra goes pale, nodding at me before running away from the crowd, trying to loop around the bleachers and hide under them. So much for continuing that conversation. I don't know why the voice (one of the girls, though I can't pinpoint who) frightened her so much. Shrugging, I turn to the closest girl, who seems equally as confused by Lyra's sudden disappearing act.

"Whoa, what was that all about?" She cocks her head at me. Long black hair trails down to her mid back, and green eyes covered by dark purple shades look at me expectantly. She has a glam rock look to her, black strapless top with a jean jacket overtop. A black, mid thigh length skirt is layered over a pair of electric blue jeggings. Lips, done up in lipstick to be the same colour as her sunglasses, open to reveal a smile. "I'm Camilla Harker. You can call me Cam, though. Super High School Level DJ."

**HARKER CAMILLA**

**SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL DJ**

I nod politely at her, looking briefly at where Lyra disappeared off to. "I'm really not sure... I'm Hiyori Futuba, Super High School Level Cafe Maid."

"Oh, those are a Japanese only thing, right? We don't have 'em where I'm from, they're pretty cute." Cam is a little loud, but not so much that I'm bothered by it.

"I think there's one or two overseas, but I think they're mostly Japanese, yes. Where are you from?"

"England," She grins. "Land of tea and scones, right?"

I giggle, and Cam does, too. The majority of these girls seem to be quite sociable, which is good! The other girl starts up again, though. "Hey, I'm gonna go check on that tall girl. Looks like Holly's the one following her in there. That can't end well. Come see me in a little, okay?"

Cam waves goodbye, her big black army boots squeaking on the floor as she follows the same path Lyra did around the bleachers. I'm not sure who 'Holly' is, but I guess I'll find out eventually. Looking around for who I'll speak to next, I find two girls having a little argument in front of the bleachers. It sounds like they're the squabbling girls from when I spoke to Mitsuki, although they've currently relocated to the bleachers to continue it, both of them sitting on the first row.

The first girl has an elegant, sweet face with pale skin. Her maroon eyes match her hair perfectly, wavy locks pulled up in a high ponytail that cascade down her back. Her square glasses are rimmed with black, and her small, pale lips move as she talks. She's wearing a black sailor uniform, the ribbon red. Her nylons are black, and her legs cross as she attaches herself to the arm of the other girl, holding on possessively.

The other girl looks angrier about this invasion of personal space, and keeps trying to jerk away. Her hair, dyed pink and pulled up into a high ponytail, swishes with every pull. Her uniform, a more modern one with a tie, is blue, and modified. Her sleeves are rolled up, her skirt reaches her mid calfs, and she wears blue slouchy socks. Don't most schools have a uniform shoe rule? Not hers, apparently, because she's wearing black high heels. I'm guessing already that her title has nothing to do with fashion.

I approach slowly, but the pink haired girl catches me coming, and her eyes dart over to me. Even through her somewhat tinted glasses, her deep blue eyes stand out, and I shrink into myself, almost feeling like she's looking into me. She groans at me.

"Hey, meido, give me a hand here, would you? This creep won't piss off!" She pulls her arm away from the red headed girl, who just grabs it back and coos.

"I must learn about culture... Through the people. I am the Super High School Level Exchange Student, Eunju Go. It is vital that I become your lover, as that is the best way to be educated about Japan."

**GO EUNJU**

**SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL EXCHANGE STUDENT**

Lover? I raise an eyebrow at Eunju. The other girl snarls at her, getting up and pulling her arm away for good, making an aggressive stance towards Eunju.

"Yeah, just cos' you say it about a billion fuckin' times, doesn't make it true. Maybe you're an exchange student, but I'm Makoto Shirogane, the Super High School Level Sukeban- and if you keep grabbing my arm, the only education on Japan you'll be getting is what girl gang leaders will do when you piss them off!"

**SHIROGANE MAKOTO**

**SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL SUKEBAN**

Eunju, looking up at Makoto with childish, almost milky eyes, turns her head like a confused puppy. She almost looks sleepy. "Shall I grab your breasts instead, then? You're very well endowed, and skinship is the best way to bond together."

Makoto's face goes dark. "You little-"

"W-Wait!" The prospect of a fight only adds to my anxiety over the situation that we're in, and I jump in between them, turning to Makoto and waving my hands in front of myself. "Please don't fight! She's being inappropriate, but you could get in trouble if you hit her!"

Apparently that's not the right answer. Makoto looks at me like I've annoyed her, and she crosses her arms- they're covered in various scars and cuts, which is understandable of a sukeban, but doesn't do much to quell my nervousness.

"... Fine. But if that creep comes near me again, I'll break both her grabby little arms. Got it, meido?" She stares down at me, and I gulp, probably looking frightened.

"... Hiyori... Hiyori Futuba..." I introduce myself slowly and quietly, and Makoto sighs.

"Yeah. Whatever. Have fun with being groped." She shakes her head, turning around and walking off. I'm not sure what she means until I feel a pair of arms wrap around front, grabbing my breasts... Eh?!

"You, then... You and I will bond through skinship." Shit, it looks like without Makoto, Eunju turned to me. Wriggling forward, I free myself from her grasp, turning around and protectively covering my chest with my arms.

"N-No, don't do that!" Although she's no longer grabbing me, I almost feel sore. Eunju has an iron grip, and that hurt! "Look, you'll be able to learn a lot about Japan soon, alright? Are you Korean?"

She nods, still slowly. She almost looks like she's going to fall asleep at any moment. "I was... Born and raised in Seoul."

"That's nice, um... Is this normal behaviour in Seoul?"

"No," she shakes her head. "But I love to bond with girls. Your breasts aren't like hers... Hers were large. Yours are cute, though."

Maybe it's time to steer the conversation off my bust. There are a lot of ways to bond without surprise grabbing, but I figure I'll explain that to her at a later time- hopefully before she tries it again on Makoto and gets hurt. "Um, alright... Just sit down on those bleachers again and watch everyone, okay? Just, uh, do that."

Surprisingly, Eunju nods, taking a seat and watching the group. Glad to see that she'll stay still, at least for a little longer. With that exchange finished, I back right up, hurrying back into the group. A quick glance to the side shows that Makoto is leaning against the far wall, watching me with an expression that lands somewhere between amused and irritated.

So distracted am I trying to get a read on her, I bump into another girl- again! This is the second time! I'm a cafe maid, a fancy waitress, so why am I so clumsy today?

Maybe that's inaccurate- it's not so much of a bump as it is a trip, my foot catching on someone else's, making me stumble. Falling forward, I try to cover my face for when I hit the ground-

Until someone catches me in the nick of time!

The hands that caught me pull me back up, setting me on my feet with ease. Pulling my hands from my face, I look over at my rescuer, relief washing over my face. What is this, a shoujo manga?

Probably not, as my hero isn't a tuxedo clad man, but another teenaged girl. Her reddish-brown hair is choppy, just long enough to be pulled into a ponytail, which is exactly what she does with it. Her eyes are a dark grey, almost like a wet ash, and her face curves into a grin as she stuffs both hands into the pockets of her jean miniskirt. "Careful, ya might trip."

She looks quite mischievous, and her somewhat tomboyish outfit reflects that. Her shirt is black and midriff baring with three quarter sleeves, though she's wearing a dark green tank top underneath. Her tights of the black capri variety, look quite easy to move in.

I laugh, blushing a little. It was kind of a silly accident. "I'm really sorry, I'm a bit off today. I just woke up. Thank you for catching me!"

She nods, pulling one hand from her skirt pocket to adjust her black baseball cap. "No prob, I'm just glad you didn't wipe out. Yeah, we all woke up here, too. Mirrored room with a cot, right? Loudspeaker that sounded like a seven-year old?"

I didn't really know how everyone else got here, but I suppose now that they all woke up in the same place that I did. I wonder if anyone more is coming?

She continues, putting her hands back in her pockets and leaning back a bit casually. "Yep, we all got here the same way. I was just talkin' to Shuri, and she said that she checked all the mirrors. They were all two-way. Someone was lookin' at us while we were asleep- creepy as hell."

The thought itself sends a shiver down my spine. We were being watched..? The voyeuristic element that's just been added to the mystery frightens me. "Really? Oh, that's weird... Hopefully whoever was doing it wasn't a pervert."

She nods. "Hopefully for them! If they are, I'll knock their lights out. I'm Sumiko, just for the record. Sumiko Akiyama, Super High School Level Thief."

**AKIYAMA SUMIKO**

**SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL THIEF**

I'd heard that Dream's Reach accepted talents that weren't exactly legal, but I didn't expect to meet someone who possessed one! Still, she seemed quite friendly, though a bit brash, so I smile at her. "I'm Hiyori Futuba, Super High School Level Cafe Maid."

"Maid, huh? Well, better to serve food than clean, probably." She shrugs, patting me on the head. "Well, welcome to the town wherever the hell we are, Futuba. Population: us."

It's kind of a funny sentence, and I giggle. Thief or not, Sumiko is quite good at lightening the mood. With a new, slightly better attitude, I excuse myself, wandering off to meet the next person.

This one is currently finishing up a conversation with Yayoi, both girls smiling and waving goodbye as the idol steps away, leaving me with an opportunity to speak to the other girl.

Her hair was white, going just past her shoulders, with one green streak down the side. Her outfit was fairly simple- a green shirt with blue jeans, a brown overcoat atop it all. She turned to me, green eyes curving as she smiled.

"Hi! Oh, you've met Fujisjima-san, haven't you? She's very nice! I was almost worried she'd think my title was weird- idols and otakus have a strange relationship- but I'm glad she didn't think it was odd!"

She's chatty, which is nice. "I thought the same about what she'd think about my title, ehehe. I'm Hiyori Futuba, Super High School Level Cafe Maid. What's yours? Are you an otaku of sorts?"

She raises her hands, shaking them in front of her with a laugh. "No, not really! I guess I worded that kinda weirdly, huh? I'm the Super High School Level Manga Artist, so I work a lot with otakus. You probably do as well, right? Cafe maid and all..."

I nod, thinking of the type of people that come to my cafe. "Most of them are perfectly pleasant, and also otakus. Sometimes there's a creep, though, but you'd be surprised how many customers stand up when one arrives."

She nods. "Yeah, yeah! Most of them are so sweet, and I try to collaborate with my fans a lot." Her face changes, though, like she just remembered something. "Ah, my name! I didn't even give you my name! Ugh, I'm so forgetful sometimes. I'm Riruko Kumatani! Great to meet you, Futuba-san! Hey, is this Dream's Reach? I mean, it kinda looks like it."

**KUMATANI RIRUKO**

**SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL MANGA ARTIST**

Riruko looks over to the wall to my left, and my eyes follow her. In my quest to try and talk to everyone (sociability is just in my blood!), I didn't really look at the walls that much. The one Riruko is referring to has the logo of Dream's Reach painted on it in black, contrasting with the pink. A shield, bearing the silhouette of a young girl, is painted onto the wall. It's large, and I'm not sure how I missed it.

"Wow, it's so official looking... This must be the place, right?" I'm really in awe. This is really Dream's Reach? My excitement starts up again.

"Looks like it! Hey, have you met everyone else?" She looks at me questioningly.

"No, not yet," I admit.

"You should! Be careful around Sheridan-san, though, she's... Weird. Report back to me when you've met everyone, okay?"

Riruko seems very nice, and we bid goodbye as I go to find the next person I should speak to. I don't know who this 'Sheridan' is, but I guess I'll find out whenever I stumble upon her! As I go near the next girl, I wonder if that's her.

She's quite beautiful, long straight black hair falling down her back. Her eyes are a deep blue, contrasting with the white makeup on her face. Her lips are ruby red, and her eyeliner is very elegantly done- this, and her kimono, indicate that she's a geisha!

She sees me coming, and smiles softly, a delicate expression with no teeth showing. The two of us standing next to each other is probably a strange image- both old and modern Japan, side by side.

She greets me first, clasping her hands in front of her and bowing deeply with perfect form. "Greetings. May I be so bold as to inquire your name?"

The formality and politeness is something I thought we left behind in the Meiji Era, and I bow right back, although mine is much shallower, much less practiced. "Oh, of course! My name is Hiyori Futuba, Super High School Level Cafe Maid. I don't dress like this for no reason, ehehe. I probably already know, but what's your title? And your name, of course!"

She keeps that ruby lipped smile, tight and proper. "I am Yuuki Hiroshima, bearer of the title known as Super High School Level Geiko. Or Geisha, depending on what region of Japan you hail from, Futuba-sama. It is an honour to become acquainted with you."

**HIROSHIMA YUUKI**

**SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL GEIKO**

Yuuki is very formal in her speech, and her usage of 'sama' in this context only drives that home. Usually it's me greeting customers with that honourific! "Oh, wow! I didn't think there were too many geisha around today."

Yuuki nods, smoothing out the collar of her kimono. "There may not be many left, which quite sad. But those of us who persist are dedicated to our art."

I never really thought of it as an art, but looking at it now, geisha certainly are artists, aren't they? "It's really good that you're so devoted to something, then! You said you were a geiko at first- are you from Kyoto?"

She clasps her hands in front of her again. "Ah, you're quite observant. Yes, I hail from Kyoto. It is a historical prefecture, after all. A very good pace for geiko."

Yuuki looks as though she's going to continue, until there's a flash of pink behind her, and she stumbles forwards a bit, catching herself just in time.

"Sorry, geisha-chan!" A voice calls out, and I realize that the flash must have been Takumi, zooming on by.

Yuuki looks startled, but regains her composure quickly. "Oh, no, clumsy me, clumsy..." She speaks quietly, almost like she's frightened. Time for some damage control.

"Oh, that Ohnuma-san, right? She's all over the place! Here, let me fix your obi." I take a step beside Yuuki, touching her pretty gold kimono sash.

It looks very expensive, and Yuuki seemed hesitant at first, before she speaks again. "You don't need to do such a thing, Futuba-sama, it was my clumsy fault."

"It's alright!" I adjust the large box knot of the obi. Admittedly, I don't have much experience with formal kimono. I wear yukata in the summer sometimes, but those are drastically different from the elegant and complicated kimono Yuuki wears. I do my best, though, and I straighten it out. Looks like Takumi bumped it on her race across the room.

I step back, and Yuuki's tense expression softens a bit. "Thank you very much. I am in your debt, Futuba-sama."

I wave my hands. "No need for that, it was just a little favour! Take care, okay, Hiroshima-san?"

Yuuki nods, stepping back as I move by. I figure I should give her some space, and on top of that, another girl seems to have fallen down in Takumi's mad dash around the group. Despite currently sitting on the ground, she looks to be quite tall. She's wearing her brown hair in low pigtails that reach her chest, and her bangs almost completely cover one of her eyes. She's wearing a yellow sweater, and a short, light pink skirt. She's rubbing her back, like she hurt it a bit.

Going over to her, I lean down, offering a friendly smile and a hand up. "Are you alright?"

She looks up, dark eyes a bit surprised, like she hadn't heard me coming. Understandable, because I guess she was a bit focused on having just fallen down. A warm smile makes its way onto her face, though, and she accepts my hand. I pull her up, and find that my earlier guess was correct- she's quite tall, perhaps a bit over six feet tall.

"I'm alright, thank you! Ohnuma-san kind of came out of nowhere, I don't think she saw me." She laughs, rubbing the back of her head. "Oh, you're that girl who just came in, aren't you?"

"That would be me!" I nod, folding my hands in front of myself. "I'm Hiyori Futuba, Super High School Level Cafe Maid."

"It's very nice to meet you! Cafe maid, that's really cute! I'm Ruri Hotaru, Super High School Scientist."

**HOTARU RURI**

**SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL SCIENTIST**

"A scientist? That's pretty neat!" Science was always my worst subject in school, I barely passed my class last year! It's cool to meet someone who's good at it- she must be good, as to be able to nab an SHSL scholarship!

Ruri's smile grows. "Thank you! It's probably a lot less fun than being a maid, though."

"Aw, don't say that! You probably get to do all sorts of fun experiments, right? And I bet you find out so much about the world around you! Your parents must be proud." Mine are happy that I got a scholarship, of course, but they aren't exactly big fans of what I do for a living.

"Aww, you're really nice!" Her face lights up. "My dad is a scientist, actually, so I'm really glad that I got to follow in his footsteps like this."

"Wow, so you must have learned from the best! Is your mom a scientist, or does she do something else?"

Questions about someone's family aren't always the best idea, and Ruri's smile twitches at the corners. "Oh, no. She's, ah, she's not."

To recover from that bad question on my end, I nod, pretending that I didn't notice the discomfort in her voice. "Okay, then! I guess you got here the same way I did, right? The wake-up call in the strange room?"

"I did... The strangest thing was, I was just outside the school! I guess I just fell unconscious, but it really doesn't make sense that all of us did. It's kind of worrying."

I reach up high, getting on my tiptoes, so that I can pat the other girl on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Hotaru-san! This is probably just a strange Dream's Reach ritual, right? Maybe we're getting hazed."

That seems to help a little, and the smile is back in full. "Yeah, yeah! It's probably just a prank from our upperclassmen. I should ask everyone else if they all woke to the same circumstances. I'll come talk to you after that, okay, Futuba-san?"

"Sure!" Each of us bidding goodbye to the other, Ruri skips off to find someone else, and I do the same. The next girl I find is standing within the group, quietly shifting through the pockets of her jeans and through her brown satchel, like she's looking for something. She's nicely dressed, a mint green slouchy shirt with a dark brown scarf. Her flats seem to have small jewels on them, pretty and elegant.

I clear my throat, as not to alarm her, and she stops rummaging and looks to me, inquisitive hazel eyes meeting mine.

I decide to speak first. "Hi there! Looking for something?"

She takes a moment to reply, her features staying still on her dark skin. "... Ah, yes. My cell phone. I'm missing my cell phone."

"Do you need to call someone? You can use mine!" I go to the right pocket of my white apron, which is where I usually keep my phone when I'm not working. But as I pat the area down, I feel as though something's not right. Why isn't it there? "... Or I would, if I could find mine."

The girl shakes her head, long, curly, dark brown hair shaking with it. "Nobody has theirs. People have asked me, and from what I've gathered... Nobody here has their cellphone."

If this is truly a hazing ritual, it's mean. Why would you take our expensive property? "Eh? Oh, no, that's no good! I was using data! Oh, my bill is going to be sky high!"

She smiles a little, and I guess that idea is almost a little funny. "I'm Skylar. Skylar Breen. I'm a Super High School Level Violinist."

**BREEN SKYLAR**

**SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL VIOLINIST**

"The violin is such a nice instrument! I'm Hiyori Futuba, Super High School Level Cafe Maid. I actually played the violin for a little while!" Then I realized my small, porky hands just weren't suited for instruments. The rest of me is fit and slender, so why are my hands so bizarre? I don't tell her any of this, of course.

"That's very nice..." Skylar seems like she's doing things at her own pace, soft-spoken but friendly. "I have mine with me, in here." She pats her bag.

"That's good! Maybe you can play it for me sometime, right?"

I'm not sure why, but she stiffens a bit at that. "... Yes, I could."

Trying to get her out of that sudden stiffness, I decide to breach another subject. "So, you must be foreign, right? There are a lot of foreign girls here! Have you met Camilla yet?"

And, again for reasons I don't understand, Skylar becomes even more tense, hands going white from how hard she's clutching her bag. "Camilla..?"

"Y'know, the DJ? Have you spoken to her yet?"

And just like that, all the tension she had drained out like it was nothing. "Oh, I see. No, I haven't met her."

I like Skylar, but I'm almost worried I'll upset her if I say too much else. "She's foreign, too, you should talk with her! I think I'm gonna go try to meet everyone else. Is that okay?"

"Of course, of course," She looks up from the floor to me one last time, a small smile on her face. "Um... Come talk to me again soon, okay?"

My own slightly tense smile fades into a genuine, relaxed one. "Definitely!"

Parting with Skylar, I try to go to the closet girl to the violinist. I don't want to leave her, I really like her! So I stay as close as I can, which leaves me with this girl.

She's also foreign. Her skin is incredibly pale, contrasting with her black hair. Her skirt reaches her knees, the rest of her legs modestly covered by socks and black shoes... Chuck Taylors, I believe? I'm no expert at shoes. She wears a tee-shirt with the Union Jack on it, giving me an idea as to where she might hail from. She's tapping away at something... Is that some sort of electronic device?

Coming up to her, I smile. "Hello! How did you get that in here with you?"

She looks up to meet my eyes, bright green eyes looking curiously over me. She then looks back down at the flat device, typing. I'm about to ask if she didn't hear me- I know that the school said all foreign students would receive Japanese training so they could communicate, but maybe she missed it- before a voice rings out from the machine. It sounds a bit like Siri, with a little more expression.

"It's not mine, actually. When I woke up here, it was sitting next to the cot."

She types something else, then looks up at me sweetly as it speaks. "I promise I'm not ignoring you. I'm mute, so this is the best way for me to communicate. My name is Carissa Blackburn. I'm the Super High School Level Chemist."

**BLACKBURN CARISSA**

**SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL CHEMIST**

Well, that certainly explains that mystery. "Ah, okay! Have you met the Super High School Level Scientist? You guys have similar titles."

Aaaand a little more tapping. "Yes, I have! It was nice to talk to somebody with a similar set of skills. I don't believe I caught your name?"

I think the sound of the machine might take a little while to get used to, but Carissa seems nice. "Oh, I'm Hiyori Futuba. I'm the Super High School Level Cafe Maid!"

"Does that mean you clean up cafes?" She cocks her head, looking curious. Her eyes still shine brightly, looking pretty in the strong lights from the ceiling. I guessed that they didn't have that many maid cafes outside of Japan, and she's unconsciously confirmed it.

"Oh, no. It's like a cafe where the waitresses are all dressed as maids, and you're treated very well. I'm wearing my work uniform." I motion down to my dress. This fluffy petticoat that I'm wearing to puff out my dress is getting itchy, I'm excited to get my Dream's Reach uniform. I saw them on their school website- they're terribly cute!

Carissa smiles widely, looking down to tap out another message. "That's very cute. I'm sure you're very good at it."

I'm about to thank her when there's another call out. It's Ruri, waving at Carissa from a distance. "Hey, Blackburn-san! I just remembered something!"

Carissa waves back before nodding her head at me politely, rushing off to be with her newfound science buddy.

Watching her head off, I start on the slightly repetitive cycle of trying to find someone new to talk to. I've done this a lot, it's almost like I'm in a fanfiction, and the author is trying to squeeze through all the character introductions before any action can happen!

But that's silly. Of course I'm not in a fanfiction. This is reality!

Brushing that strange thought aside for now, I go to the nearest girl, after a quick glance to make sure Skylar is fine. This one is also foreign- that's three in a row! Her shirt is a plain red, with the bottom ripped up so that it just reaches her belly button, and her brown leather jacket ends in the same place. Her black jeans are held up by a belt with a skull on it. In all honesty, she intimidated me a little.

She turned to me, however, with a big smile. Her brown hair reached her shoulders, with bangs covering one eye. The visible eye, however, was a pretty brown shade, and looked kindly over at me.

"Hey there. That Blackburn-san is a nice girl, isn't she? It's probably good that somebody put that little thing in there for her."

I'm not sure if she was purposely listening in on the conversation, or just happened to hear in. Heck, maybe she had already talked to Carissa, and that's why she knew. But she does spook me a bit, and I'm not afraid to admit that I'm a bit of a scaredy-cat. So I merely nod, probably looking a little frightened.

She laughs at me lack of reply, smiling down at me. Sticking one hand in the pocket of her jeans, she offers the other for me to shake. "Hey, I know I might look a bit scary, but y'all don't need to be nervous. The name's Maddie Right. Super High School Level Daredevil. Real nice to meet you."

**RIGHT MADDIE**

**SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL DAREDEVIL**

I'm not used to handshakes, they're definitely more of a western thing. But I do take her hand, shaking it gingerly before she pulls hers back, stuffing it in her other pocket. "So, what about you? Are you one of those costume-type people?"

"Cosplayers?" I shake my head. "No, but I guess I might look that way, huh? I'm a Super High School Level Cafe Maid. My name is Hiyori Futuba." Although she was intimidating at first, she's obviously quite sweet, and i soften up a bit.

Maddie scuffs the toe of one of her black boots into the floor, making a small black mark on the pale brown floor. "Nice, nice. I wouldn't be suited for a job like that, I'd pull something weird and freak out all the customers. So, Futuba-san, you didn't happen to see any sort of doors besides this one when you came in, right?"

I purse my lips, thinking back. "Besides the one I came out from after I woke up? No, I think this was the only door."

"Yeah, I thought so too. That's what made what happened to me out there so weird..."

Now she has me curious. "Eh? What happened?"

Maddie grimaces, almost as if she's a little embarrassed. "Well, when that door slammed shut, I kind of tried to pry it back open. That's when this little girl came up behind me- real creepy, all dressed in white, curly grey hair- and screamed at me to stop touching it! Seriously, she came out of nowhere!"

I'm shocked, and a chill runs down my spine. Was that little girl there, watching, when I was in the hallway? But before I can react, Maddie continues. "Look, I'm a daredevil. I do scary, dangerous stuff for a living. But I ran down that hall like I'd never ran before. She was scary! These little fangs and everything... God, she was creepy."

Maddie laughs awkwardly, bringing a hand from her pocket to rub the back of her head. I'm glad that she got out okay, though, so I smile. "Gosh, that's awfully scary! I'm glad you got out okay."

"Thanks. Probably not a good idea to get eaten by a little demon girl on my first day at school, right?" Maddie chuckles to herself, taking the hand she was rubbing her head with to point in another direction. "Hey, I'm gonna double check to see if that door will open. I mean, it hasn't until someone comes in, but I think I should check. See you in a bit, okay?"

I wave to her as she heads off. Before I can even look for the next girl, however, one finds me. She drapes her arms around my shoulders, resting something soft on my head. It takes a minute for me to realize that she's resting her large bust on the top of my head!

She sighs, like she's tired. "Oh, honey, your big sister isn't feeling too well today. Do you have any booze on you?"

Recovering from the shock of being used as a boob shelf, and being asked for alcohol, I wriggle out of her grasp, turning around and trying to fix my headband- it got a little flattened there. Then, I finally get a good look at her.

She looks old for a high school student, resembling a woman in her mid twenties. Aside from being very well-endowed, her hips are quite large too, giving her an hourglass figure I can't help but envy. She's wearing a form fitting purple dress, with no sleeves and a low neckline, most likely there to emphasize cleavage. It's cinched around her waist with a tight black belt, and ends in a dangerously short miniskirt. She's already a bit on the tall side, but I'd say her purple heels boost her up another few inches.

Her silky black hair, no bangs whatsoever, falls down to her chest, and she cocks her head at me, heavily made-up grey eyes looking down to me. "So, do you?"

I blink before remembering that she'd asked me a question. "Oh! Uh, no... I don't."

She sighs, dipping one hand into the top of her dress, and... Pulling out a flask? I watch in confused awe as she pops the lid and takes a sip from it, sighing once more and then slipping it back into her shirt. I guess she was storing it in her bra? "Oh, your big sister is very disappointed, honey. It's okay, don't worry about it. She has some emergency vodka in here." She pats her chest.

Now that that little moment of oddness has passed, I gulp and nod. "I see! Uh, I suppose it's good to be prepared?"

"It is, it really is. Oh... My name is Momo Togashi. Super High School Level Romantic Actress."

**TOGASHI MOMO**

**SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL ROMANTIC ACTRESS**

Now that I think about it, Momo does look a bit familiar. "Oh, you are? Do you do movies?"

She nods, absentmindedly toying with the purple jemstone necklace she's wearing. "Yes, movies... _Parting Doll, Summer Jobs, Nara Halation..._Those are some movies that I've been in."

I recognize the titles, but I don't think I went to see any of those movies. Romantic movies aren't really my thing, I get all sad and mushy over not having a girlfriend or boyfriend of my own. "Good for you! I'm sure you're quite popular to get so many titles! Though... I must ask, Togashi-san... How old are you?"

Momo blinks at me before reaching down to take out her flask again, talking all the while. "Twenty two."

Wait, what? I must be looking shocked, because she simply shrugs and takes a small sip from the flask. "It's a long story. I'm still in high school, though."

My guess is that she failed several grades, which, looking at her? May very well be the truth. But if she wanted to talk to me about it, she would have, so I keep the questions about that out of here. "Oh, I wondered why you looked older than us!"

"I'm your big sister, okay...? All of you are my little sisters. So be good to big sis, and she'll be good to you." Momo nods in regards to her own statement before taking a big swig from the flask. How much is in there?! "Shit, I think I might puke. Little sister, have you seen a garbage can around here?"

And that's my cue to get right out of there. I back up fast, turning and rushing away from Momo. I try to be nice, but puking, tipsy adults aren't my cup of tea.

Much like Momo did, my next conversational partner finds me before I can find her. My only warning of her incoming is a gleeful shout, and then I'm being picked up, hoisted up by hands that grab under my armpits. Shrieking, I kick my feet in panic, and the shout turns to laughter as whoever' holding me sets me right back down. Turning to see who it is, I find yet another foreign girl.

This one has on very short shorts, ripped up and looking more like denim underwear than anything else. Her tank top is a plain white, and she's wearing a red letterman jacket over it, though it's not buttoned. She's wearing knee high, grey knitted socks with two red stripes on the top.

Looking farther down, she's not wearing ordinary shoes- but rather, rollerblades! They're white with red laces, and look to be quite fancy. Her blonde hair, with no bangs at all, is let all out, ending at the small of her back, and her blue eyes sparkle when she looks at me.

"Hey now, how did I miss y'all? What a cute lil' lady, all dolled up. The name's Holly Sheriden, and I do have the pleasure of calling myself the Super High School Level Escape Artist."

**SHERIDAN HOLLY**

**SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL ESCAPE ARTIST**

Wait, this is Holly Sheridan? I know that more than one person here told me to watch out for her. I stiffen up a bit, and her expression changes, one of confusion now upon her sun kissed face.

"Aw, sugar, what seems to be the problem? Maybe I can get yer name, right?"

Her heavy accent comes through, even though she's speaking Japanese. If I had to guess, I'd say she was somewhere from one of the southern American states.

"Um, I'm Hiyori Futuba. Super High School Level Cafe Maid."

These constant introductions are getting boring, as I'm just repeating my name and talent over and over again! But Holly seems to find it interesting, and she leans down to poke my headband.

"Maid, eh? Sounds like a darned cute title. Say, you wouldn't happen to know where Miss Lyra went, would you?" She leans back up, stretching her arms nonchalantly.

The last time I saw Lyra, she was running away from a girl who was presumably Holly. I don't want to throw her under the bus, so I just shake my head. "No, sorry. I haven't seen her for some time."

Holly tsks, shaking her head. "Now that's a real shame. I'm six foot three, and she's taller than I am, you know. That's hard to find!"

Given our odd introduction to each other, I didn't notice how tall Holly was. But looking at her now, she's quite enormous, all long tanned legs and toned arms. If I wasn't a bit apprehensive of her, I might have been a little in awe.

Holly whistles a little tune before reaching down and patting me on the head once again. "Huh, sorry to run off, but I really should be findin' Lyra. I still wanna ask her somethin' darned important. Come to think of it, I do believe I have a question for you, first."

Just as I'm about to ask what it is, Holly leans farther down, far enough so that she can whisper in my ear. "Wanna be tied up, darlin'? Anytime."

Pulling back up, Holly smiles purely at me, ignoring the shocked blush that I'm currently wearing. Turning away, she skates right off, her rollerblades making little noises on the floor.

It takes me a moment to compose myself once again, and I cover my face in embarrassment. What was that a about?! Who says that to people they just met? No wonder everyone else seemed a little spooked by her. Anxiously, I scoot off into the main crowd, hoping that the next person I find won't be strange like Holly or Momo. Third time's the charm, right?

That must be the truth, because the next girl I find seems ordinary enough. Her hair is brown, reaching her shoulders, and on either side, there's a black streak. Her eyes are are grey, and there's a small scar on her left cheek. It almost looks like an 'X'.

She's dressed casually, a jacket with a red coloured torso portion and bright yellow sleeves. Her blue jeans add to the casual image, as do the white shoes. Looking at me as I arrive, she smiled politely. "That's a nice dress. You wouldn't happen to be one of those little girls, would you?"

Little girls? I'm not sure what she's referring to. "Oh, I don't think so? What do you mean by that?"

"You know, one of those little girls around here. I saw two of em' that dressed kinda like you." Although her introduction was quite polite, the girl is drifting into more casual speech quite quickly. "Though, I guess you don't look like a ten year old. Yeah, you're definitely just one of us. What's your title?"

Maybe she's referring to that scary little girl Maddie saw. "My name is Hiyori Futuba, and I'm the Super High School Level Cafe Maid. What about you?"

"Keiko Hotaru, Super High School Level Firefighter. So we were all supposed to be at Dream's Reach today, yeah?"

**HOTARU KEIKO**

**SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL FIREFIGHTER**

That sounds like a dangerous job. Maybe that's how she got that scar? "Oh, what a cool title! You wouldn't happen to be related to the other Hotaru-san here, would you?"

"Thanks!" She smiles, all pearly white teeth and healthy skin. "Nah, we just have the same last name. We had a good laugh over it when I met her."

'Hotaru' is more commonly a first name, so it's unusual for two unrelated girls to bear that same last name. It just looks like Ruri and Keiko had the surname solely by coincidence. "Ah, okay! I'm really sorry to keep asking so many questions, but you said you saw two little girls? Where did you see them?"

Keiko's face looks as though she's thinking for a minute. "Well, the first one was in the hallway. She was all done up in pink, kinda like you. Her hair was different, though. I think her dress was longer. You both looked like maids, so I wondered if you were one of 'em. I think I freaked her out, she didn't look like she was expecting me when I left the room. She just scurried off down the hall, and when I chased after her, she was just gone! Like she'd teleported or something! Really weird."

That is quite bizarre. A little girl in a long maid dress who just seems to disappear? That's a little spooky. "What about the other one?"

Keiko lowers her voice a little, leaning in. "I don't want to freak out the other girls, so keep this between us, okay? I saw one of them in here. She was just sitting on top of those bleachers, really quiet. It was just her head poking up from there. Watchin' us and stuff. Creepy. When I made eye contact with her, she just ducked under one of the rows. I tried to climb up there to look for her, but she was just... Gone."

Another chill runs down my spine. One of those creepy girls might be in here with us? Keiko notices my sudden fear, and pats me on the shoulder. "Don't worry, okay? There's, like, twenty of us and one of her. If anything bad happens, we can take that girl. I'm gonna go back up to check if she's back. Do you wanna come?"

I shake my head, far too frightened to think of going with Keiko. She's a firefighter, of course she's brave and strong, but I'm not suited for things like that. "No, thank you. But please be careful, okay?"

Keiko nods, patting me on the head. "Now, don't you get scared, it's probably nothing." And with that, she heads over to the bleachers, ready to scale them.

Now a bit more anxious that we might be being spied on by a bunch of spooky grade schoolers (now there's a situation you don't think you'll ever find yourself in), I move on, hoping to distract myself by talking to the next girl. This one looks a bit mysterious, big, bright blue eyes and hip length blue-silver hair. Her shirt is long sleeved, black, and looks quite comfortable. The opposing patterns of her black and white striped thigh highs and her tanned tartan school skirt make for an interesting contrast.

She looks at me with big, blank eyes, and I take the initiative to speak first. May as well try to distract myself from the scary girls. "Hi there! That's a nice skirt, it looks cool with your socks!"

She stares at me for a moment, almost like she's not sure what I said. She promptly casts her gaze off to the side. "Thank you."

The girl reminds me a bit of Mitsuki, really, and I try to continue the conversation, even if she's not so helpful. "What's your name? We all seem to have Super High School Level talents, as well. That's interesting, yeah?"

The girl sighs a bit. "I guess. My name is Shuri Jundou. Super High School Level Magician.

**JUNDOU SHURI **

**SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL MAGICIAN**

"Ooh, a magician! How neat! My name's Hiyori Futuba, and I'm the Super High School Level Cafe Maid!"

"Maid cafe girl... I see." Shuri brings up one of her hands, picking at her nails. She's really not one for chatting, is she? I decide that I'll give it one last try.

"So, what do you think of all this? I can't help but think it's an elaborate hazing ritual. I bet the upperclassmen are watching somewhere and giggling at us!" Dream's Reach is a very rich school, after all. I wouldn't doubt that they'd put a lot of effort into pranks for the first years. Maybe they even hired child actors, and that's why these weird little girls are here! I hope that's why, anyways. It's more comforting.

Shuri brings a hand up to flip her hair over her shoulder, seemingly bored from picking her nails. "I don't have an opinion on it. Perhaps they are."

This is getting awkward, and I feel a bit silly trying to have chit-chat with such a cool, silent girl. Mumbling a small excuse, I back away, a bit embarrassed. As I turn around, I make a beeline for the nearest person, who has their back turned to me. And now I'm just surprised. Is that a boy?

I can't see his face, as he's not facing me. He's wearing a big, baggy blue hoodie, and black jeans with white lining. This is quite interesting! Walking over to him, I start to speak. "Ah, hello! I didn't know Dream's Reach accepted male students- are you the exception?"

He turns to me, looking at me from the front. Instantly, I'm absolutely mortified- 'he' is a girl! Her face is feminine, which I couldn't see beforehand, and her long brown hair is tucked down the back of her hoodie. Her hood was up, so I couldn't see it earlier. She's foreign, with amber coloured eyes, and her piercing gaze makes me shrink into myself as I squeak out an apology. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I-I just saw you from the back, and I assumed you were a boy..."

The girl smiles softly. "It's okay, it happens more often than you'd think." She takes a few steps towards me, and I notice that she has a scar going down her left cheek. I would ask, but considering I just assumed she was a boy, I don't want to embarrass myself more.

"I'm really, really sorry, still. Ah, my name is Hiyori Futuba. Super High School Level Cafe Maid."

"It's nice to meet you, Futuba-san," She nods politely. Her voice is quiet, but she seems perfectly friendly. "My name is Diana Tundra. I'm the Super High School Level Fortune Teller."

**TUNDRA DIANA**

**SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL FORTUNE TELLER**

"Oh, neat! Have you met Jundou-san? You two have some similar talents!" I try to bring up Shuri, as to distract both of us from my own embarrassment.

"Sort of. I tried to talk to her, but I got nervous." Diana laughs quietly. "I'm a little shy around people. I wish I had my jack in the box."

"Jack in the box?" I look at her curiously.

"He helps me tell my fortunes. I feel like something bad might happen, and if I had him, maybe I could figure out exactly what was so bad." She sighs, slouching a bit.

I don't know much about fortune telling, but I don't think I've ever heard of a jack in the box being used to aid in it. I guess that creativity must be what landed her a title at a place like this! "Don't worry, Tundra-san, I'm sure you'll find him soon enough! I can help you look for him at some point!"

Diana's face brightens up, and she smiles. "You'd do that? Thank you so much, Futuba-san!"

Seeing her happy puts a big grin on my face. I'm about to reply, when suddenly, her face changes to one of fear. "Oh no, oh no, it's happening soon. Something's going to happen, it's going to happen?"

"E-Eh? Tundra-san, what are you taking about?"

I get my answer when the lights go out. Amid sudden shrieks of panic and fear, Diana moves forward and latches onto me. She's breathing heavily, almost like she's panicking.

"Hiyori, Hiyori, it's happening!"

The lights come right back on, but Diana and I are still holding each other tight. A voice, high pitched and youthful, echoes from the other side of the room.

"Good moooooorning, big sisters!"

**And there we go! The first chapter! Because Japanese characters make up the majority of the cast, and Japanese names are read last name to first, I decided to introduce all the characters like that- even the foreign ones. **

**I hope you all like this chapter! The next one should be up soon, but I want your input on something important: Who should Hiyori spend the first free time event with? We'll have two this chapter, so I want to know who you all think she should spend it with! Here's a poll where you can vote: http(:) (/)cp16lY**

**So, what did you think? My writing? The characters? The setting? Let me know in the reviews, I'm excited for them! Just remember- these are other people's characters. Say what you wish, but don't be too mean, okay? **

**See you all again soon, my beloved readers!**


	3. An Exploration

**Me again! So this isn't the best chapter, in my opinion, and not everyone makes an appearance. But I'm leaving on a trip in a few days, and I'm doubtful as to whether I'll be able to update. So I wanted to post this now!**

**Also, as many of you know, I don't understand this website yet, and that link to the poll didn't work. But I did find out you can set some up on here, so hey! The freetime events will be next chapter, so place your votes there!**

Right away, I turn my head, still clutching tightly to Diana, who's still doing the same. Within several seconds, everyone in the group is turned to the source of the voice, varying degrees of emotion running through their faces. Even Lyra has emerged from her hiding place under the bleachers.

The voice was high pitched and youthful, yet loud enough to fill the auditorium. It demanded respect, and I suppose that's why we all looked.

The source of the voice was a young girl, certainly no older than eleven. She had on a pretty ball gown, puffed out and floor length. It was black, with white frills and details. The sleeves ended at her shoulders, and satin gloves- the left one white, the right one black- reached her upper arms. It was suitable for a little princess, really, which is what she looked like. Her hair was white, and pulled up into a bun at the top of her head, every hair in its place. One of her eyes was covered by an eyepatch, a white medical one with a red heart on the centre. Her other eye had a black iris, making it blend with her pupil.

"Big sisters, hello!" She spoke again, smiling widely. Her mouth was just a little too wide, her smile a bit too stretched, and there was something inherently unsettling about it. It wasn't a smile of joy, but a display of teeth. "I'm so happy you all arrived. Did you all get to know each other?"

Bowing slightly, the black tiara on her head stayed perfectly in place. On either side of the tiara, there was what looked to be a stuffed animal ear clip- maybe the ears of a bear? I assumed they were stuffed, anyways, because humans can't have animal ears, can they? Besides, one was black, and the other was white. A monochrome bear girl was just silly.

She continued, still smiling. "My name is Princess Monoji. I'm the heiress to the Monochrome Queendom, but you're welcome to just call me Monoji. I'm here to royally welcome you all your new lives!"

Monoji, if that is truly her real name, allows her smile to shift into a closed lip grin, this one far less unsettling. "Now, some of you may have encountered a few of my ladies in waiting. I hope you were good to them, because they'll be taking care of you from now on! I brought ten of them with me, and they'll be treating you well. After all, they know that, when I grow up and take over for my mother, the one who I find the most useful will have the honour of being my bride, and ruling the queendom with me!"

This system of juvenile arranged marriage seems a little too strange, and now I'm pretty much sure that it has to be a prank from a senior student with odd taste. The other girls seem to think the same, judging by glances tossed around the group.

Monoji claps twice, and the lights flicker once again, directly resulting in a few gasps. Once they turn back on, another little girl stands beside Monoji, hands clasped in front of her. She's wearing an old fashioned maid dress, floor length and pink in colour. Her apron reaches the bottom of her dress, and her headband has two white rabbit ears sticking out from the top. Her hair is pink, flowing down to her hips, and she's holding a large number of what seems to be handheld games in her arms. This honestly keeps getting stranger and stranger.

Monoji looks at her, smiling brightly. "Usagi. Won't you distribute the student handbooks?"

'Usagi', if that's really her name, nods politely and strolls towards the group, handing out the small devices to each girl. Everyone who's approached looks a bit hesitant, but takes them all the same. When she comes to me, she pauses, poking my dress curiously with one dark skinned hand before ducking her head and handing me one of the devices. She's quite cute, and I smile at her as she hurries off to Diana, who has since let go of me to receive hers.

Looking over mine, it doesn't look like it's actually a game, though it's designed as a PSP. It's a light pink, and the screen lights up as I fiddle with the buttons. It's fairly easy to control, and I get a hang on the buttons and their purposes quite quickly.

"Now, big sisters," Monoji's voice calls out. "Go to the fourth page in your handbook. You can see who your roommate will be in your time with us!"

Curiously, I scroll to it. There's a big list of familiar names, each one paired with another. A flower name stands in front of each dorm, identifying it. There's a third, strange name in brackets at the end of each pair.

**Rose Dorm: Riruko Kumatani-Carissa Blackburn [Defaid]**

**Daisy Dorm: Shuri Jundou-Ruri Horaru [Lupo]**

**Violet Dorm: Holly Sheridan-Maddie Right [Húlí]**

**Lily Dorm: Hiyori Futuba-Momo Togashi [Cervo]**

**Jasmine Dorm: Yayoi Fujishima-Makoto Shirogane [Ardilya]**

**Fern Dorm: Takumi Ohnuma- Lyra Etso [Crowa]**

**Daffodil Dorm: Keiko Hotaru-Skylar Breen [Lepakko]**

**Sunflower Dorm: Sumiko Akiyama-Yuuki Hiroshima [Perro]**

**Orchid Dorm: Diana Tundra-Mitsuki Tsukino [Chat]**

**Poinsettia Dorm: Camilla Harker-Eunju Go [Usagi]**

Before I can become appropriately distressed that I've been placed in a room with Momo, Monoji claps her hands together joyfully.

"Excellent! Now that you know your dormitory name, your roommate, and your housekeeper, I'll leave you all be. Your student handbooks will act as keys, and I can't replace them if they are lost. You will need your roommate to use their key every time you wish to enter the room! And if both of you lose yours- well, your room will be permanently unlocked. You may come and go without hassle, but so can everyone else. Understand?"

Usagi hurries back to Monoji, standing beside her at attention. Monoji nods to her, and the girl turns her face to us, speaking in a timid voice, though still with enough volume to reach the ears of everyone in the room. "We will open the doors to leave the gymnasium now. Please go to your rooms and become aquatinted with the area. Once you and your roommate are settled in, please make your way to the cafeteria. There will be important news."

And with that, Monoji claps her hands, and the lights flash out momentarily. By the time they flicked back on, both strange girls were gone. But that's not what we all focused on.

The far was gone, completely disappeared. There was no hint that it had ever been there, in fact. The whole room was now three walls and a huge, wide hallway leading to what looked like the entrance to a school.

Among the surprised gasps, I just stare, mouth slightly agape. How could that have happened? It was a perfectly solid structure beforehand..!

"T-The hell was that?!" Makoto can be heard hissing, and I can feel the tension in her voice.

"Was it an illusion? Maybe it was never even there?" A slightly nervous Riruko speaks, though she sounds unconvinced.

"It looked solid to me." Mitsuki's serious voice rings out. She seems generally unphased by this breach of physics.

"I don't like this..." And that one was from Skylar.

"I don't believe that was a holograph. It looked perfectly solid." Shuri speaks up, clasping her hands together when I look over at her.

"Well, I guess we don't have much choice but to check it all out, right?" Keiko steps forward, stretching her arms. She must have came down from the bleachers when Monoji appeared. "Unless we all want to stay here for however long this nonsense goes on for."

There's a small murmur of agreement throughout the group. We all seem content to follow the one who's willing to lead. Mentally, that is, not physically- most of us leave at our own pace, whether that's a slow shuffle (looking at you, Lyra) or a carefree run straight ahead (I see you, Takumi). Most of us leave at a cautious, but reasonable, pace.

This school entrance, if it can really be called that, is magnificent. Tall pillars stretch to a high ceiling made of marble, and the white floors shine as we walk across them. Various small rooms grace the walls, semi-transparent doors that lead into them. A grand staircase sits at the far end on the room, shiny white stairs that twist up in two directions. They practically beg to be climbed.

It seems like most of the group is ready to do just that, when someone speaks. "Oi, I got an idea. How 'bout we all make like the Scooby Doo gang and split up? I'm keen on checking out some of these rooms." It's Sumiko, and she jerks a thumb in the direction of one of the doors. "How about a couple groups of two check these places out, huh?"

"I'll investigate with you, Sumiko-chan!" It's Holly, skating forward. Sumiko cringes.

"Ugh. Can I get a group of three, maybe? I don't particularly want Fetish-san here alone with me."

"My, my, Sumiko-chan, that hurts my feelings! Whatever will I do?" Holly giggles, reaching out and patting Sumiko on the shoulder. The thief jerks away.

"Yeah, don't fucking touch me."

"I can go with you, if you'd like." Yayoi steps up, smiling at Sumiko. "I'd be happy to help you investigate if you want a group of three."

Sumiko smiles. "An idol is better than nothin' I guess. Alright, ladies, let's try... That one!"

Sumiko lifts her arm, pointing to the nearest door. "Alright, let's investigate there! The rest of you should probably do the same at some point."

And with that, their ragtag group strolls (or in Holly's case, rolls) over to the room. Yayoi hold open the door, letting both girls in before walking in herself, closing the door behind her.

"Girl's got a point. I might look in one a' those rooms." Makoto muses to herself. Like a magnet, Eunju is by her side.

"I'll investigate with you, Shirogane-san."

"Haha, that's a funny fuckin' joke. Maybe the ginger was willing to lead the pervert brigade, but I'm not. Go sexually harass someone else, okay?" Makoto glares down at Eunju from under her glasses. She then looks around the group, frowning, before taking Eunju by the shoulders and walking her to the nearest person- who, in this case, happens to be a startled Yuuki. "You take care of her."

Holding up a hand, Makoto snaps her fingers at Keiko. "Hey, you look useful. How about investigating with me, yeah?"

Keiko shrugs, stuffing her hands into her pockets. "Can't hurt, I guess. Alright, I elect that Blackburn-san is in charge." The firefighter wanders off with the sukeban, both of them seemingly headed to the same room, leaving a moderately startled Carissa in her wake, who promptly starts typing on her little translation pad.

"Well. I personally just want to see my room. So if anyone else wants to investigate, that's good, but I guess we should just do what Miss Monoji told us to do." The little computer rings out. Most of the crowd, murmurs in agreement, myself included, and Carissa brightens a bit. She's clearly quite happy that she was agreed with.

Though, as I'm about to take a step towards the stairs, it seems that somebody else has other ideas. I feel a familiar pressure on the top of my head, and- oh, for the love of God, it's Momo. "Little sister, we're roommates together... So we should investigate together."

I like to think that I'm a cheerful, polite person that doesn't snap at others, even when they put their breasts where they don't belong. So I simply step away, turning to face her and trying my best to smile. "Oh, Togashi-san...! Yes, if you'd like to. Uh, where do you want to go?"

I notice that the group, as a whole, seems to be moving off to the staircase, and I curse. Looks like it's going to just be me and Momo.

Oh, scratch that. Camilla isn't, and she's walking in our direction, black combat boots looking odd on the elegant floor. She offers both of us a smile. "So, you guys sticking around to investigate? I hope it wouldn't be too much of a bother if I joined in."

Before Momo has a chance to say anything, I jump in. "Oh, of course you can, Harker-san!" It'll be nice to have somebody other than the tipsy Christmas cake to investigate with.

Camilla nods, and turns to Momo, smiling at her. The romantic actress returns the smile, though hers looks a lot less perky and a lot more contentedly sleepy. It looks like she's decided on where we're going, though, as she turns and struts over to the nearest door, heels clicking on the floor. With a quick glance at each other, Camilla and I shrug, following Momo closely behind.

The door doesn't look much different from the others. It's a sort of milky, semi-transparent glass. Some very vague shapes can be made out, but beyond a collection of blob looking things. I take a quick look back at the auditorium (gymnasium? It's hard to determine what it really was) where we came from. It's still there, the floors and walls blending bizarrely together. It almost feels like a Roman palace versus an ordinary-if slightly pink- school gym. Talk about anachronism stew.

By the time I've looked back, Momo has entered the room, and Camilla is holding the door open for me. Thanking her, I walk on in, taking a look around. The room itself is yet another mess of contrasts, this one seeming more like a typical office than a room that should reasonably connect to the elegant hall. It looks straight out of a boring commercial- white walls with bulletin boards advertising varied campaigns and regulations, and a line of grey cubicles surround the room. It's a little anticlimactic.

Momo yawns, starting to slowly walk around the room. "How dull. Big sister will investigate it properly, so you don't need to worry, little sisters."

Camilla and I exchange glances, confirming without words that we probably shouldn't let the questionably drunk one investigate by herself. We turn in separate directions, walking around either side of the cubicle rows. There are computers in each, I note as I walk by, though none seem to be on. The chairs are plain black, and nobody occupies them or the grey desk.

It's especially strange, as some of them still show signs of being in use. There are flowers, little paperweights, and calculators on the desk. Walking by, I notice a family picture of a very happy man and woman, the latter who is holding a newborn baby in her arms. It's a touching scene. The next cubicle even has a full cup of coffee sitting on the desk! The pink mug, which reads "#1 Mommy", still has steam drifting from the top. It's actually a bit creepy, as if everyone in the room just ran away, leaving everything behind.

Just then, I hear a strange noise, sounding a bit like a startled sheep. The next startled noise I hear is from Camilla, and then a whump. Suddenly worried as to what may have happened, I rush over to the source of the sound, circling the cubicles to find it came from one on the far side of the room.

Camilla is sitting on the floor, eyes wide as she looks up at the occupant of the desk. The person sitting at it is another little girl, this one wearing a cream coloured maid dress, with a long white apron. Both of them went to the girls ankles, much like that that Usagi had. This girl had curly, light blonde hair that reached her chin. Two tiny, fluffy white ears sat on her maid headband, and once again, they look awfully realistic. I can't quite determine what animal she's supposed to be.

As she sees me enter the scene, the girl baas nervously, inching up into her seat, and my question is answered. Her computer is on, opened to an unidentifiable word program. There was some typing on the screen, but I couldn't hope to read it- it was all in some sort of romanized language.

"W-What are you girls doing in here?" She whimpers, making another baa noise. "The princess said that you were just going to your rooms!"

"God, you scared me!" Camilla held her hand over her chest. "And not exactly. Most of them did, but a lot of us came to investigate."

Just then, Momo chose to show up, waving an object in each hand. "Little sisters, I found something for you and something for me!"

In one hand, she's holding what appears to be a large bottle of vodka, and in the other, a box of feminine pads. "Some lady had all the necessities in her desk. I would have gotten along with her. Anyways, the grown-up juice is for me, but you girls can have a few of these. Merry Christmas from your big sister."

The fact that it's nowhere near Christmas becomes the least of my concerns when Momo tosses a the box to both of us. "When you're grown up, you'll realize how expensive these can be, and all women need them."

Camilla, holding up a pad that fell out, looks very uncomfortable. "Um, Togashi-san, you didn't need to do this." While Momo focused her attention on opening the bottle of alcohol, Camilla slides the box far under the desk, never to see the light of day again. Clever girl.

"Oh, but I wanted to. Why are you on the floor?" Momo doesn't look up from fiddling with the top.

"Well, that sheep girl just-" Cam turns to point at the little girl, and stops. "Where'd she go?"

I turn, as well, and the girl is gone, her computer off. None of us were focusing on her, and she vanished in the meantime. Momo shakes her head, clicking her tongue. "See, little sisters? This is why you don't wander off without your big sister. You'll start seeing things. Come on, let's all go to our rooms so we can rest."

Cam looks over at me, but we both seem to understand that Momo has decided on something, and that changing her decision will be a daunting process. For now, so that we don't have to stay in the same room that the strange sheep girl vanished in, we follow the romantic actress out of the room.

Once we get outside, however, Makoto and Keiko are in the same area. Makoto is pressed up in front of the door they had previously entered as if to block it. Keiko was leaning over next to the door, hands on her knees and heaving, like she's trying to catch her breath.

Makoto catches sight of us, and calls out from across the room. "Jesus christ- Did that little bat thing get on your case, too?"

"Bat thing?" I cock my head at Makoto. Keiko raises her head, seemingly having caught her breath enough to speak.

"She said her name was Lepakko, and she did _not_ take kindly to us wandering into her cubicle."

"Chased us out of the fuckin' room, these useless little wings flapping behind her back. God, did she ever scream, though! My head is killing me." Makoto grumbles.

I cock my head at her before Momo speaks up. "Lepakko is Finnish for bat, and it's not commonly used as a girl's name. Are you quite sure?"

Such an intelligent statement out of Momo doesn't sound right at all, but she doesn't act like anything changed. Makoto growls.

"I know what I heard. Her name was Lepakko, and from what we saw, she has a couple hundred loose screws."

Momo shrugs. "Fair enough," and takes a sip from the newly opened vodka bottle. Keiko stares at her with an arched eyebrow from across the room.

"Is that.."

"Yep." Camilla nods.

Keiko sighs, getting up and stretching her arms. "Well, so much for investigation. We found a little, at least, so that's good. That one manga author girl came wandering by to tell us that the other group told her that they found some papers with some sort of romanized language, but Holly couldn't make heads or tails of what it was supposed to be."

Come to think of it, that computer screen had those letters in it! I can't read it, so I had no idea what it said, but maybe Camilla got a good look at it? I'll ask her a bit later about that.

My train of thought was interrupted, quite violently, by a scream down the hallway, coming from beyond the staircase and from a hallway.

**Sorry to leave you on a cliffhanger there! **

**I feel like the reference made at one point may not make sense to non-Japanese readers, so I'll fix that here: 'Christmas cake', when used in the context of a person, usually refers to an unmarried woman who's 25 or older. Basically, you all want a Christmas cake before or on Christmas, but after the 25th of December, nobody wants one! So it's basically referring to a woman who is too old to be married, and it's certainly not a nice thing to call somebody. Momo isn't 25, but she is the oldest, so the term popped into Hiyori's head.**

**I think that's all! See you again soon!**


	4. The New Life

**I'm back from vacation! I had so much fun! It was also my birthday yesterday, I just turned twenty one! Let's celebrate with an update!**

**I didn't get much of a chance to thank you in last chapter's authors notes, but thank you so much for these kind reviews! It makes me so happy to see people appreciate my work, especially native speakers. I've worked hard on English, the validation feels so nice. And in regards to one question: yes, the room parings were randomized. I put all the names into an online sorter, and they paired them together. And that's how the roommates were born!**

**One last note: 'Chat', in this story, is pronounced like 'shat'. It's a French word for 'cat'. In fact, all the little girls, aside from Monoji, have the name of an animal in varied languages. See if you can find out what their theme is before they're revealed by translating their names!**

In the meantime, our temporary group of five- Keiko, Makoto, Camilla, Momo and myself- has, to put it bluntly, hauled ass to the source of the scream. It sounded more like a scream of anger than a scream of pain, but the five of us still seemed to hurry to the source of the noise in a rush, despite not having any sort of conversation about going.

The hallway was made of the same marble of the grand hall, though it was significantly less decorated. Pale lined the walls, but the sound of furious yelling from one in particular drew us all in, Keiko stepping out in front and opening the door.

Inside was what, for all terms and purposes, seemed to be a cafeteria. It looked like that of a normal, if slightly run-down, American high school, with grimy bricked walls doted with posters on various clubs and issues, and a long line of glass covered food that could presumably be spooned out by the lunch ladies (that weren't there).

No, the only people in it, were two girls standing atop one of the metal tables in the centre. One of them was Monoji, looking the same as she had before, though much more angry. The other was yet another little girl, this one with a pale orange maid dress and a white apron. Her hair was brown, cut into a shoulder length cut, and the orange cat ears propped atop her head almost seemed to fold back with anger with everything Monoji said.

"No, we can't do that to them! Not yet!" Monoji snapped, looking furiously at the other girl.

"Princess, stop screaming." The other girl practically hissed, "Your mother gave me the direct orders. Do you know what might happen if we don't go through with this plan?"

"I don't care, Chat! They're our guests! We don't know that they're the cause, Mama promised me that we'd have more time to think about what to do!"

'Chat' (another odd name) sighs angrily, rubbing her forehead. "Monoji. I know I'm one of your ladies in waiting, but that makes me a servant of the kingdom. And it's my duty to make sure that the kingdom stays safe!"

"But-"

"Enough." Chat glares at Monoji. "The Queen has the final say. She told me to start with the plan, and we will do just that. I'm devoted to her and our kingdom first."

Monoji clenches her fists, looking like she wants to say something, before sighing dejectedly and slouching. "... Alright. Fine."

Chat nods. "Good."

This conversation is becoming a bit of a pain to keep up with. I don't understand exactly what they're talking about, and it looks like nobody else in our group wants to, either. Monoji, mumbling, casts her gaze off to the side- and onto us. Her eye widens, and she gasps, reaching forward to tug on Chat's sleeve.

"Chat, Chat!"

Turning her head to look at us, Chat's eyes widen. From here, it can be seen that her pupils are diamond shaped, giving her a cat eye look. She hisses, though it's more on of surprise than of anger.

"Gah- Princess, you said they were going to their dorms!"

"I thought they were!" Monoji looks concerned, not at all like the regal and peppy girl we saw in the auditorium. "Big sisters, you're early!"

Keiko is the one to respond. "Most of us went to our rooms. We decided to look around. What's going on?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all!" Monoji shakes her head, holding her hands in front of her chest nervously. A little behind her, Chat facepalms.

"For the love of- Ugh. Just sit down at a table, please, we'll announce what's going on when everyone else gets here."

Despite her apparent age, Chat's voice commands respect. With a few glances to each other, our group walks forward, taking a seat together on one of the metal benches. Within a minute or two of watching Chat and Momo have an impromptu staring contest, neither one wanting to break eye contact first, others start to pour into the room. As they all settle in, I try to get my bearings together. This can't be Dream's Reach- it's not anything like the brochures. The whole place is a mess of mismatched locations. The auditorium was too fancy for this simpler lunch room, it was like a typical office scene in those attached rooms, and don't even get me started on the Greek palace aesthetic worn by the main hall. Where on earth are we?

I notice Makoto nudge Camilla, who's seated beside me. I can hear the sukeban whisper to her. "Hey, can you read that for me?" She points to a banner across one of the walls, and my eyes follow her point. It's in western letters, and I can't understand what it says.

Camilla squints. "Uh, I can't read it."

"Can't read it? You're British, yeah?" Makoto raises an eyebrow.

"Well, yes... But that's not English."

"Then what is it?"

The DJ purses her lips, eyes dancing over the banner. "Don't quote me on this, but it looks German."

Makoto sighs, rubbing her forehead. As more people gather within the room, chatter echoing through the place, her whispers grow into slightly quiet speaking. "Can you at least try to pronounce it?"

"Um... Im auftrag von Pfirsich? I don't know what it means."

"Eugh," Makoto leans farther back. "Thanks for tryin'."

Though I was staring at the banner curiously, I almost didn't see a certain someone slide in beside me. Yuuki smiles gently at me, taking a seat next to myself. She smooths out her kimono as she sits. "I do hope I'm not troubling you by sitting here."

"No, not at all!" I brighten up a bit, happy to see her again. "What are the dorms like, Hiroshima-san?"

"Peculiar... Very peculiar. They're just like Dream's Reach advertised them- thick sheets, spacious, a bathroom for each."

I cock my head. "What's peculiar about that?"

"There are so many flowers... Floral print sheets, a flower pattern on the wallpaper, and a truly absurd amount of vases. All sunflowers. It was strange."

Come to think of it, Yuuki was in the sunflower dorm, wasn't she? Maybe it's some sort of theme naming. I suppose mine might have a lily theme, then?

Before I can ponder that more, Monoji is back on the table, calling attention to herself again. This time, Chat stood silently next to her- there was no hint that they'd ever been fighting. The princess clears her throat, looking across the room where we've scattered.

"Ah, hello, big sisters! You're all on time for my announcement!" She looks nervous, but her big smile is still plastered on. "I've just gotten word from my mother as to what we're going to do with you all."

Chat turns her head to look at Monoji expectantly, who sighs and bows her head briefly before looking back up at at us, smile stuck to her face.

"You see, we don't know how you got here. We also don't know any way to get you all out, so here's our little solution... A contest, you might call it! You will be trapped here permanently. Only one of you can escape safely, and there's one way to do it. Kill another student."

There was a silence among us. I'm quite certain we all thought it was a joke, a gag. Either that, or that we hadn't heard her right.

But we all had, and Monoji continued. "We need you all to leave our queendom. But only one of you can leave! By killing another student and getting away with it, we will deem you worthy of being the one to go home. The rest of you will be executed!"

Huh...? The room is silent. A quick glance around the room is telling of the mood. Carissa is clutching tightly to Ruri, who is looking onwards in apprehension. Mitsuki and Shuri, sitting next to each other, are perfectly silent and staring straight ahead at Monoji. Maddie stared forwards with one arched eyebrow, while Lyra, sitting next to her, looked shocked.

Before I can see everyone's faces, Yayoi stands up. She had been sitting at the table behind us, and I see her march on by us, a small scowl on her face. "Come on, this isn't funny anymore. This joke has gone on for too long now."

"It's no joke, big sister! This is better than just killing you all, right?" Monoji smiles, though it does look a little forced.

Yayoi puts her hands on her temples, looking frustrated. "Look. Little girl. I know a senior probably hired you or something, but you can listen to me, okay? My name is Yayoi Fujishima. Do you know who I am?"

Monoji cocks her head. "Well, my guide told me that you were a Super High School Level Idol, whatever that is. I'm not where you're from, big sister! I had never seen you until today."

Yayoi, who is quickly becoming less peppy and polite as she bickers with Monoji, takes a few more steps towards her. "Look, arguing won't help us. Call the prank off. We're all tired, and scared, and we want to just start our school day."

She takes three more steps towards Monoji- and apparently, that's one too many. Chat's eyes widen, and she hisses, pointing one clawed finger at Yayoi. "Takaramonozu!"

Yayoi freezes at first, almost like she'd walked right into an invisible wall, stumbling backwards a bit, before falling forward to her knees and shrieking, both hands pressed to her stomach. "U-UWAAAAH!"

"Chat! She wasn't going to hurt me!" Monoji snaps at the other girl, who shrugs.

"It's not my job to take chances. She approached you in anger. These brats are just lucky I didn't kill her- disrespect of royalty is punishable by death."

"Still, you didn't have to use that spell on her!" Monoji turns to Yayoi, who's writhing on the floor, still holding her stomach and making pained gasps. The princess grimaces before turning to us and plastering on another false smile. "If you attack me once, we'll cast a spell on you! We have a whole book full of spells that make the victim feel like they've sustained mortal injuries- Trust me, you'll wish we'd just killed you. Which is what we'll do if you try it a second time, actually! If big sister Yayoi here does that again, she'll die!"

The room has been gawking in terror at Yayoi, who's twitching helplessly on the floor, her breaths heavy as tears drip from her eyes. "T-Take it out..!"

Chat crosses her arms. "We can't take anything out, nothing is in you. It only feels like it. It should subside in an hour or so." She grimaces at the idol, like she was looking at garbage, before looking up to us with the same expression. "Right now, she feels a spear going through her stomach. I won't hesitate to use something worse if this happens again. Two of you, take her to her dormitory."

Keiko stands up, as does Makoto, both of them looking more angry at Chat then terrified of our situation. Getting on either side of Yayoi, they gently pick her up from under her arms, helping the now weeping girl to her feet. With her weight distributed, both girls try to help her out of the room, Yayoi stumbling with each step forward.

After they're gone, our situation really sinks in- unless Yayoi was somehow in on it all, this was all completely real. This was no prank, and we were in the Monochrome Queendom, wherever that was. We were going to have to kill each other.

Almost like she was reading my thoughts, Diana stands up. She's sitting a few tables away, but I can still clearly see the panic in her face. "Y-You're lying! It's lies, nonsense! Nobody will do such a thing!"

"I assure you, they will!" Monoji smiles at Diana. Her constant changes from regretful to enthusiastic are disturbing, in my own opinion.

"Liar, liar! You can't be telling the truth, it doesn't make sense! Liar, nonsense! Liar! We're going to die, no, it's nonsense!" Diana's words become less and less sensible as she goes on, before she breaks into sobs, covering her face with her hands. Skylar, who had been sitting next to her, startles, and gently takes Diana's arm in her hands, pulling the girl down to sit and rubbing her back while the sobbing continues.

"Aaaaaanyways!" Monoji grin, casting that one eyed gaze around the room. "I'll leave you all to get settled in more. We'll release a motive soon, so stay on the edge of your seats in preparation for that! Bye bye, now!"

While Monoji is waving, Chat claps her hands once. In a flicker of light, both little girls are gone, leaving no trace of ever being there- aside from the shell shocked room of girls. A few of them are crying, some are staring with mouths agape, and some of them have no reactions whatsoever. Those are the ones that worry me the most.

I can Yuuki mumble something under her breath, and a quick glance to her shoes that her hands are tightly clasped together, going as white as her face makeup from how tightly she's clenching them.

Dream's Reach Girl's Academy was supposed to nurture our dreams, to care for them and let them grow.

Now, they're just being dashed into the dirt.

**It's just a filler chapter, but I hope you guys enjoyed it! I tried to change quite a bit from the canonical Dangan Ronpa universe- I really love worldbuilding, so I wanted to go down my own path for the most part. I hope you all don't mind.**

**On another note, have any of you heard of Doubt Academy? I just found it, it looks fun! It turns out one of the people who submitted a character here actually was in a game! That's cool, isn't it? Anyways, don't forget to review!**


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